consistent-hash

This is a dependency-free javascript-only implementation of consistent hashing hash ring. Uses strings for hash keys, and hashes using a PJW hash variant.

This implementation is pretty fast, and has a nice key distribution.

    var ConsistentHash = require('consistent-hash')
    var hr = new ConsistentHash()
    hr.add('server1')
    hr.add('server2')

    var serverToUse = hr.get('resourceName')

Installation

    npm install consistent-hash

API

hr = new ConsistentHash( options )

Options:

• range - hash ring control point modulo range, default 100003. The range should be an odd number relatively prime to the number of nodes.
• weight - the default number of control points to create for each node added, default 40.
• distribution - node arrangement around the ring, for when no control points provided. One of "random" or "uniform", default "random".
• orderNodes - function to use to define the order of newly added nodes that need uniformly distributed control points assigned. The function gets as input an array of nodes, and returns an array of nodes. Default undefined, assign points in as-added order.

The number of nodes supported is range / weight, default 2500. For 10x more nodes, use a wider range like 1,000,003 or a smaller weight like 4.

Properties:

• nodeCount - number of nodes on the hash ring
• keyCount - number of control points (tokens) around the hash ring

hr.add( node [,weight [,points]] )

Register a node as also managing the resource. The node's share of the resources will be proportionate to its weight. The default weight is 40, and control points are randomly created between 0 and range - 1. Returns hr.

Adding the same node more than once increases its weight.

Note that with uniform distribution of control points each added node will use the default weight, and adding a node twice will double its weight.

• weight - controls how many resource instances this node should manage vs the other nodes. Higher weights will be assigned more resources. Three nodes A, B and C with weights 1, 2 and 3 will each handle 1/6, 1/3 and 1/2 of the resources, respectively. The default weight for each node is the one configured into the instance, normally 40.
• points - the array of control points to use for this node. This setting allows for very low-level technical control over resource distribution. If not provided, control points are generated either randomly, or, if {distribution: 'uniform'} is specified, reproducibly.

hr.remove( node )

Remove all instances of this node from the hash ring and free its control points. Freed control points may get allocated to newly added nodes. Returns hr.

hr.get( resourceName [,count] )

Locate the node that handles the named resource. Returns a node previously added with add(), or null if no nodes.

If a count is specified, it returns an array of count distinct nodes; first the one that handles the named resource, then the following closest nodes around the hash ring.

hr.getNodes( )

Return an array of all the nodes currently in this hash ring, in no particular order.

hr.getPoints( node )

Return the control points assigned to the node.

Todo

• option to pass in the hash function to use

Changelog

• 1.2.0 - new orderNodes option, new methods getNodes, getPoints
• 1.1.2 - clear _needKeyMap once computed, new undocumented getNodes, getPoints
• 1.1.1 - do not access unset _keyMap
• 1.1.0 - options.distribution, fix multi-node get() that wraps around 0
• 1.0.2 - 2016 version

Related Work

• hashring - fast C++ hashring with poor key distribution and slow O(n^2) setup